Archive of Our Own ^beta

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• Andrew and Neil have/get tattoos because I said so. 
• It starts through late college where Andrew would get tattoos occasionally.
• Andrew has lots of art and never words because he doesn’t want to have people read him. Mostly imagery of classical books and maybe a knife or two and never any color (it’s Andrew so duh). They crawl up his arms and are dark against his pale ass complexion. His forearms compete with a scene and hides his self-harm scars. Though he still wears his armbands.
• Neil has much fewer tattoos (a grand total of two) which he cherishes each dearly. His first tattoo is a fox paw which he got when going with Andrew to the tattoo parlor he frequents. It was during their first year going pro together (on the same team, because they’re a package deal) and they shared an apartment together not far away with their cats. And the tattoo was completely unplanned and Andrew called him a junkie for it when they were discussing the placement of it. Andrew says that it could be a tramp stamp. And then Andrew nearly has a breakdown when Neil begins to consider it because he’s dumb and didn't realize that it was a joke. 
• The fox paw is a thin outline of the simple shape and it ends up being placed just behind his ankle joint. It’s the same leg that Nathan was going to start hacking off in Baltimore all those years ago haha ouch feelings . 
• The second tattoo Neil gets is planned. Because Neil is an asshole. And it’s done at the same parlor, but this time without Andrew by his side. It’s a black filled silhouette of the key to the Columbia house on his ribs, slotted between a large knife scar and a rough strip of road rash. It’s the key that Andrew gave him and told him to stay. He surprises Andrew with it one night while they were getting ready to fall asleep and Andrew just about dies inside. 
• So… Andrew needs to take his revenge, right? 
• Right. 
• Andrew gets a tattoo in thick swirling letters (the only fucking word on his body) of a name. Abram. It’s above the crook of his elbow and just visible above his armbands. When it’s revealed to Neil, he freezes and gets called a Junkie again because honestly Neil is looking at Andrew like he’s hung the fucking stars. It’s a problem. Neil looks like an idiot with his mouth dropped agape like that. So Andrew puts that mouth to work.
• And then they have a l o n g night after that. 

• The foxes' reactions of the latter tattoo are a little different though. They know of Neil and Andrew being a thing (finding out during the aftermath of Baltimore) but a little about how serious it is. They don’t know of Neil’s key tattoo, and think that his fox tattoo is amazing (Matt is contemplating on getting one too so they could match). 

• The foxes gather at a rented out room in a restaurant nearby Andrew and Neil’s apartment for their annual monthly reunion (they rotate locations). Neil loves his foxes and Andrew only goes because someone needs to be there to back Neil up when he mouths off a snooty waiter.  
• Renee is the first to notice the Abram tattoo just above the veins of Andrew’s elbow. She smiles and nods but doesn’t comment, continuing on with her conversation with him about the last book Andrew had recommended her. A tattooed name can mean a lot of things. She’s happy that her friend is expressing himself and is even contemplating on getting a tattoo of her own (just more colorful—watercolor style tattoos I think just scream Renee). 
• Dan just stares at the name and Allison (predictably) is the one who says something about Andrew having another man’s name tattooed on his arm. Her tone is harsh and venomous. Allison is furious and looks to Neil with an expression as if to ask him if he was just okay with this. Neil is predictably confused and oblivious, not knowing what she’s talking about. Though to be fair most of Allison’s rants don’t make sense to him. 
• Allison explodes in a loud angry rant. Neil could barely catch all the cuss words she used along with other words that held just as much venom. Some things didn’t fly over his head; like the words cheating, monster, and how she fucking knew it all along. 
• Renee tries her best to calm her down (like the godly woman she is) but Allison is so gone with her rant. She’s making a scene and Neil is sure the people actually eating dinner outside of the room could hear her. 
• The rest of the foxes were now roped into the rant. Dan looks somewhere between angry at Andrew and pitying Neil, eyes drifting to the tattoo. Matt is frowning and mainly looks at Neil for answers and also much in concern. Nicky is just confused as all hell, and Aaron knows that Allison’s rant is something stupid (they always are). Kevin is drunk and already tired of the foxes drama. All of the foxes are protective of Neil, and the upperclassmen (aside from Renee ofc) don’t think Andrew is nor is capable of any good intentions—how fucking wrong they are. It’s gotten better in the past years but sometimes they find themselves falling back into their old ways. 
• Andrew gives a crude grin that makes Allison even more pissed off. She looks like a blonde snake that’s wearing a Versace necklace, he thinks. She’s heaving heavily and her face is too red. 
• The room was suddenly dead silent. And that’s when Neil has his oh moment of what’s going on. Allison says (loudly) something along the lines of, “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” to Andrew. 
• And yes, Andrew does have just one thing to say; a simple question, “Did you forget your best friend's name?”
• Neil can’t help but laugh. It's a whole, warm, and full laugh and Andrew’s stomach flipped at the bright sound. He thinks maybe he’s gone a little too soft. 
• Allison’s eyes are wide and confused because her first thought is the fucking monster is cheating on Neil with someone that she knows. And then.. She’s confused. The foxes may be fucked up at times but the main ones are too loyal to do anything of the sort—and with the monster no less. And not many people wanted to be friends with people with as many issues as the foxes orson the contrary that they have too many issues to let people in easily.
• It completely slips her mind that Neil’s full name is Neil Abram Josten. But it does dawn on her. 
• Later in the night she begrudgingly apologizes to Andrew, which Andrew mocks her for every chance he gets for the rest of their lives.
• Aaron calls the pissed off waiter that Neil told off earlier to order himself another shot. 

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Hello!

Since I’m on winter break, I’ve had loads of time I don’t know what to do with so I’m pleased to tell you guys that I’ve made this bullet fic into a full one shot!

linked here: 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/75715946

Happy reading!